That's one of the peculiar things about bad moods - we often fool ourselves and create misery by telling ourselves things that simply are not true.
David D. BurnsRead
Depression can seem worse than terminal cancer, because most cancer patients feel loved and they have hope and self-esteem.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Depression can be more debilitating than terminal illness due to the lack of love and hope often experienced by those suffering from it.
In this quote, David D. Burns highlights the devastating emotional impact of depression as compared to terminal cancer. While cancer patients often receive love, support, and maintain hope, many individuals struggling with depression can feel isolated and worthless, leading to a profound despair that may overshadow even the most dire physical conditions.
Themes
DepressionMental HealthHopeSupportSelf-Esteem
In practice
Example use cases
During a mental health awareness seminar, you can use this quote to illustrate the severity of depression.
More from David D. Burns
All quotes βMost people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve the problem rather than finding the truth in what the person is saying.
David D. BurnsRead
Negative thinking patterns can be immensely deceptive and persuasive, and change is rarely easy. But with patience and persistence, I believe that nearly all individuals suffering from depression can improve and experience a sense of joy and self-esteem once again.
David D. BurnsRead
A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.
David D. BurnsRead
I'm all for 'tools,' not 'schools,' of therapy. To me, the schools of therapy compete much like religions, or even cults, all claiming to know the cause and to have the best method for treating people.
David D. BurnsRead
It's very rare to have a patient who isn't absolutely delighted when you say, 'I read your feedback. The session didn't go well. You actually got more upset, and I made about three really horrible errors.' If you do that from the heart and not as a gimmick, boy, it's a wonderful thing.
David D. BurnsRead
Similar quotes
You can't fix yourself out of a mental health issue. You can't wake up and say, 'Today I'm not being depressed!' It's a process to get well, but there is recovery.
Margaret TrudeauRead
I am unable to describe exactly what is the matter with me; now and then there are horrible fits of anxiety, apparently without cause, or otherwise a feeling of emptiness and fatigue in the head.
Vincent Van GoghRead
My mother struggled immensely with mental illness, and so did I. She grew up bipolar, but it was never diagnosed nor recognized. It was shrugged off like a 'symptom' of being female - of her being weak. I also experienced this growing up: I felt that the great pain I experienced was a dramatisation.
Petra CollinsRead
Depression isn't just being a bit sad. It's feeling nothing. It's not wanting to be alive anymore.
J. K. RowlingRead
People are always selling the idea that people with mental illness are suffering. I think madness can be an escape. If things are not so good, you maybe want to imagine something better.
John Forbes Nash, Jr.Read
I've never had a sustained period of medication for mental illness when I've not been on other drugs as well. It's just not something that I particularly feel I need. I know that I have dramatically changing moods, and I know sometimes I feel really depressed, but I think that's just life. I don't think of it as, "Ah, this is mental illness," more as, "Today, life makes me feel very sad." I know I also get unnaturally high levels of energy and quickness of thought, but I'm able to utilize that.
Russell BrandRead